Monday, February 11, 2013

We’re halfway there, and still truckin’! Twenty-five stops
into our pizza journey, we arrived at Ferrari’s on a sunny Saturday afternoon
in January. Though our side of the
parking lot had seemed forebodingly empty, there was quite a bustling little
crowd inside the restaurant, complete with large families, small groups of
friends, and even an older man whom the staff addressed by name. It was this atmosphere, accompanied by the
décor and the bakery, which gave this spot a warm, friendly, authentic
feeling. A large, painted fireplace
protruded from the wall adjacent to our table, and was a stunning addition to
the traditional Italian-themed furnishings.
We would’ve shared a photo of this, but didn’t want to creep out the
people dining directly in front of that spot.

We made reservations for our visit through Open Table, but
seemingly they were unnecessary for this time of day on a Saturday
afternoon. During peak dinner hours,
it’s likely that your reservations would be needed to snag a table, but neither
of us have been during that time. They
have special lunch and dinner hours, so you will want to check this out ahead
of time if you plan to go.

Our server brought us some complimentary Italian sliced
bread, topped with sesame seeds, and some soft butter. The bread was pretty unremarkable,
considering we were dining in a bakery, but it was a good to munch on while we
waited on our order. The pizzas are
single serving size, so we took the opportunity to order two different pizzas
off the menu and share, as we are wont to do in such a situation. Courtney fiddled with the idea of ordering a
salad but, in the end, decided against one.
She regretted this soon after, as she saw servers delivering pretty
mounds of green to neighboring tables; the salads looked very, very good. Don't make her mistake!

At the recommendation of Cincinnati Magazine, one of our
selections was the Mediterranean Pizza.
The other, a unique twist on “pizza” for sure, was the Thai Chicken
Pizza that piqued Robyn’s interest in particular.

Thai in the front, Mediterranean in the back

The Mediterranean was a little different from
Mediterranean-styled pies that either of us have had in the past. Similar to most, it is heavy with delicious
and fresh toppings, including quartered artichoke hearts, Kalamata olives,
hunks of mushrooms, Roma tomatoes, spinach leaves, garlic, and feta all resting
atop an olive oil base. It is infused
with a blend of tasty spices and balsamic.
The balsamic flavor is powerful, and something that makes this
particular Mediterranean-themed pizza different from those of our previous
experiences. Though it was very good,
the strong balsamic-y flavor was one that grew "old" after a couple
slices. It was just a little too tangy
to keep going. Lucky for us, at this
point we were able to switch to another!

The top-heavy Mediterranean

The Thai Chicken Pizza was the favorite for both of us with
its charred-crust bottom and julienne-d array of veggies. Aside from the chicken marinated in
peanut-ginger sauce, this pizza boasted sesame seeds, smoked gouda and
mozzarella cheeses, onions, carrots, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and crushed red
pepper. Although those veggies were
super fresh, and sliced into perfectly manageable little morsels, they were not
so great when reheated as a meal later on in the toaster oven. This seems to be a testament to the freshness
of the toppings used. While this pie is
pretty far from traditional, it was very tasty.
The flavors and textures combined in a way that satisfied the adventurous
eater and the comfort food cravings of the pizza lover all at once.

The colorful Thai Chicken Pizza

Up close and pizza-nal

Not only is the name of this warm, romantic little
establishment a mouthful—its pizzas and Italian fare offer up plenty of things
you just can’t help but get a mouthful of as well. On your way in, and as you leave, you are
forced to walk by a bakery case full of goodies, and possibly a worker or two
kneading bread or preparing pizza dough.
Smartypants Ferrari's folks; they know you won't pass up the opportunity
to snag some cookies, or the day-old bread that tempts you with a sign marked
"$2". It was a silent
agreement that we would stop at the bakery counter on the way out; we know each
other well enough to understand that neither could ever walk by a bakery
without, at the very least, indulging in one cookie. We both purchased some, and Courtney grabbed
a loaf of the day-old salty rye as well.
In order of preference, most preferred to least, the cookies we tasted
were: 1)
Black & White cookie (sugar, one half dipped in chocolate and the
other in white chocolate), 2) White Chocolate Macadamia, 3) Chocolate Chip, 4)
Red Velvet. Red Velvet is last mostly
because it was hard. If it had been
super soft and moist, as we had expected, it might have ranked higher. Next time, we think we'll go with the
Chocolate Chip half-dipped in chocolate.
Oh, and some more of that salty rye - it was fantastic.

We definitely recommend Ferrari's. Cozy atmosphere, tasty pizza of unique
varieties, a multitude of other Italian-centric dishes, and a bakery to send
some dessert home with you. If you
celebrate Valentine's Day, this would be a nice little place to take that
special someone. Though, you might be a
little late in the game for those reservations, especially if you want the
prime seat by the warm, rustic-looking fireplace. Or, if it's too late to dine in, at least
stop by the bakery to get a sweet treat for your sweetheart.

About Me

We are on a mission to taste test the 50 best pizzas in Cincinnati, as determined by the November 2011 issue of Cincinnati Magazine. In doing so, we hope to expand on their reviews and offer up our own experiences at each pizza hot spot. By no means are we trained food critics, but we like pizza and we like writing, so this gives us the opportunity to enjoy both.